CBI chief puts agency's independence issue at SC's doorstep

Ghaziabad, April 26: With questions being raised on independence of

after it "shared" its status report on coal blocks allocation probe with the Law Minister, agency Director Ranjit Sinha today said the apex court is the best forum to take a view on the issue.

He refused to say whether any changes in the status report were made on the suggestion of the minister. "We have already filed it (affidavit) in the Supreme Court and now it is in the public domain. I don't have to say anything more about that," he told reporters on the sidelines of the investiture ceremony of sub-inspector cadets.

When specifically asked whether he feels that independence of the agency was compromised in sharing the report with the Law Minister and officials, Sinha said, "On this issue, I think honourable apex court is the best forum. They can take a view on this."

Asked whether any changes in the status report on probe in coal scam were made on the suggestion of law minister, he said, "I will disclose everything before the apex court and before telling them I do not wish to share anything with general public."

He also dismissed questions about his meeting with Minister of Personnel V Narayanasamy a day ahead of filing the affidavit in Supreme Court saying there is no bar on such interaction with the Minister "He is our minister. What is the harm in meeting him. There is no bar from meeting him. I keep on meeting him. This is routine work," he said.

Sinha today submitted before the Supreme Court that the agency's status report on coal allocation scam was "shared" with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him" and that senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry had also seen it.

The affidavit filed on the direction of the apex court contradicted the claim made by CBI counsel on March 12 that the report was not shared with any member of the government.

PTI